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Editorial: Miller has served Topeka well during tenure

Topeka Police Chief Ron Miller speaks about the shooting deaths of two Topeka police officers and the death of the suspect in the shootings in December, 2012. Miller has been nominated by President Barack Obama to become the U.S. marshal for Kansas.

Topeka Police Chief Ron Miller has served the community well since he stepped out of retirement in 2006 to accept the position.

Miller previously had worked for the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department for 34 years, serving six years as chief of police there before retiring. Having retired once, many assumed Topeka would be the last stop in his law enforcement career. That’s apparently not to be the case, however, as President Obama has nominated Miller for the position of U.S. marshal for Kansas.

The appointment still must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Miller already has put together a long and honorable career, but if he wants the marshal’s job, and it certainly appears he does, we hope his nomination is confirmed and wish him well.

Anyone who has seen the movies “The Fugitive” and “U.S. Marshals,” staring Tommy Lee Jones, whose character had an affinity for doughnuts with sprinkles on top, knows the U.S. Marshals Service is the primary agency for apprehending federal fugitives. It also operates the Witness Security Program, is responsible for protecting federal court officers and court buildings, and is involved with prisoner transport and the federal warrants process.

In Topeka, Miller has done an effective job leading a police department that, although understaffed for much of his tenure, managed to steadily reduce the rate of crime in the city.

When certain types of crime spiraled upward, Miller and his staff initiated specific strategies and task forces to attack them and achieved positive results that could be measured.

Yes, there is still crime in our capital city, more than we would like. But we will never be free of criminals and crime. What Topeka residents have the right to expect from a police chief is someone who cares and has the experience, knowledge and leadership skills to address the city’s crime rate and keep the statistics in a downward trend.

Miller has been that kind of police chief.

He also has worked diligently with citizens groups to encourage residents to take proactive, precautionary steps on their own that can reduce crime and enhance the efforts of law enforcement officers.

If Miller is confirmed by the Senate, the move will take him back to his law enforcement roots. The U.S. Marshals Service’s Kansas district is headquartered in Kansas City, Kan. Miller can return there knowing he served Topeka well while he was among us.